Sunday, September 14, 2008

New York Fashion Week: LanVy


The beautiful Prince George Ballroom on East 27th Street came alive all week as over 50 international designers presented their spring collections at Nolcha Fashion Week.

Nolcha works to create a global network of design talent that allows young designers a chance to showcase their work in fashion hub cities. After the huge success of previous fashion weeks in New York and London, Nolcha returns to the Big Apple with individual runway shows for award-winning designers, an Accessory Lounge, and the NY Profile, a night of 35 emerging British fashion designers in one show. On Wednesday night, the spotlight was on 1 of 3 by LanVy and Celestino by Sergio Guadarrama.

LanVy began its show with a thunderous percussion performance by female Taiko drummers dressed in red robes and urban clothing. The line stayed true to its Japanese inspiration and packed its collection with unique, geometric prints and stripes. Most striking on the dresses were the distinct back cutouts – some draped, some in giant diamond shapes covered with bright lace, others imitating a sharp, tuxedo-lapel design. The menswear stood out through details like contrasting cuffs on dress shirts and varied lengths on the loose, bell-bottom pants. What we loved most about the show were the hats: the cute bucket hats with bows, the floppy sun hats with bright flowers, and our favorite, the low straw hat with shaded peepholes for the eyes.

Celestino wowed audiences with his ultra-feminine dresses. Models walked to serene string music wearing minimal accessories, save the occasional Japanese parasol or traditional sword (yes, sword). The dresses were cinched in all the right places to accentuate curves, yet still gave soft, flowy silhouettes. There were interesting Asian influences, like the kimono-style corseting on dresses, the use of organza sashes criss-crossed around the torso, a waist-hugging sash on almost every piece. Guadarrama’s creativity shone through his play with shapes and textures – form-fitting busts and waists that flare out into mermaid tails or full skirts, in a mix of billowy and structured silk, satin belts and creative pleating with yards and yards of organza.

Nolcha looks like it’s bound to become an industry staple.

Check out www.nolchafashionweek.com for updates from the Nolcha Fashion Week in London next week!
-Grace Bahk

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